The Pursuit of Love
by obsidians
Summary: Sometimes people just need a shoulder to cry on. Now rated M for later chapters.
1. The Pursuit of Love

I do not own Ranma ½ or its characters; Rumiko Takahashi does and I make no money from writing this story.

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Ukyou was wandering the street of Nerima aimlessly, still in shock at the angry words that Ranma had lashed at her.

"Can't I just take a walk with Akane without you showing up and acting all jealous?" he demanded after Akane had run home without him.

His poisonous words were like a spike being slowly driven into her brain, each one hurting as much as the next.

"I'm not into you. Once we were friends, but now I hate you!" he raged at her

A car drove by, she didn't even notice when it splashed her with mud from the rain the day before.

"Do you hear me? I hate you and never want to see you again! Stop following me around, stop groping me and stop saying you're my cute fiancée! I've never asked you to marry me and I never will. Fuck off Ukyou" he screamed at her. She stared at him, he'd never spoken to her like this before and she didn't know how to take it. All she'd done was ask him what the hell he was doing with Akane. She hadn't known that Akane was going to coldly tell him to walk with his cute fiancée and leave in a jealous rage.

"But, Ranma?" Ukyou protested. She couldn't believe what she'd just heard.

"I-said-get-out-of-my-face" he retorted, emphasizing each word. She'd done as he'd requested, and now she wandered in shock, feeling like her heart was breaking. She felt numb, yet her body burned with tears that she dare not shed for fear that they would never stop. She didn't even care about the damage that she was doing to her spatula as she dragged it along behind her. Dimly she heard someone calling her name, but chose to ignore them. She just walked faster, wanting to be alone with her thoughts and to suffer her humiliation in silence. Ranma didn't want her! Someone grabbed her spatula and she just let them take it, past the point of caring.

"Kuonji-san?" someone said and she just growled at them, wanting them to go away, but they didn't. She was pulled against a powerful chest and strong arms enveloped her. She struggled against them at first, and then her breath hitched and her tears burst forth. She felt herself being bodily lifted onto someone's lap and she wrapped her arms around them, accepting the comfort that she so desperately needed. He held her throughout the storm and then wisely put her on the park bench beside him. He handed her a handkerchief that he plucked from the wide sleeve of his robe.

"Thank you Mousse" Ukyou said tearfully and dried her eyes with it.

"Ranma?" he guessed.

She tearfully nodded; afraid she would start crying again.

He turned his blind eyes on her and asked, "would you like to talk about it Uuchan?" and then blushed. "Sorry, I have no right to call you that" he apologized.

"It's okay" she said dismissively, just glad to have someone to talk to. Mousse seemed to be examining at her clothes, as if to see if they were torn.

She laughed humourless "no he didn't hurt me like that; I don't think that Ranma could ever force himself on a girl. He said that he hated me and never wanted to see me again" she explained bitterly.

"I couldn't see him doing that either, but I had to know. I would have been forced to seek vengeance for you if he had" Mousse explained

Ukyou felt flattered at that and went on to tell Mousse about the fight "I guess that you don't care, seeing how you hate him and all" she concluded.

"I don't hate him, it's impossible to stay mad at him; he's too nice a guy, if a tad full of himself. No the only thing that I have against him is that he stands in my way to love" Mousse explained. "Quite frankly, it sounds like he was just venting his frustrations and will apologize the next time you see him" Mousse suggested

Ukyou paused, letting this sink in. "Mousse, why did you come after me?" she asked.

"You seemed in a bad way, I kept on calling you and you wouldn't answer. You seemed depressed and looked like you could use a hug" he explained. "I hope you don't think I wanted to take advantage of you?" he said with a blush.

"No, I needed a good cry. I'm grateful to you" she explained. "Besides, you certainly didn't touch me inappropriately. Anyway, I'll probably die a virgin at this rate" she said with irony in her voice. "I guess you feel the same way seeing how long you've pursued Shampoo" Ukyou said.

She was surprised when his pale face was painted by blushes "I'll tell you a secret; I'm not" he admitted.

"Really?" she exclaimed. This caused Mousse to wince.

"Am I really so ugly?" he asked.

"No of course not, you're really quite attractive" she assured him, he flashed her a grateful smile. "Do you want to share?" she asked intrigued.

"It's the usual way: depression, drinking and a willing woman. After Ranma defeated me, I went home to China. I had nowhere to stay that night, so I decided so stay in the airport overnight to catch the plane in the morning. An older girl who had just flown in, started talking to me and she offered to let me stay at her apartment that night. I should have known better, she was twenty and insisted we have a couple drinks. I, not being much a drinker, got hammered in no time. When she started kissing me, I just let her fuck me. I was depressed over losing Shampoo to Ranma and wanted comfort I guess. I think she just wanted to get laid, because she made me breakfast the next day and then drove me back to the airport. She never gave me her number" Mousse explained.

"That seems kind of sad. I want my first time to be on my wedding night with Ranma" Ukyou admitted with a blush.

Mousse nodded "I'm sure that all the fiancées want that too" he said.

"Do you think I should give up?" she asked.

"No I don't, you have to keep on trying until you've exhausted every avenue to love" Mousse declared.

"Like you?" Ukyou said.

Mousse nodded "Shampoo's not as indifferent to me as she seems. I'm good for her vanity and to provide comfort when Ranma makes her sad, like he does you. Besides, she could beat the snot out of me if she really wanted to or she could order me to leave her, she's the future leader after all, yet she does neither. I live with her and sleep in the room next to hers" he pointed out.

"You're a lot more crafty then you let on" Ukyou said. "What will happen if she marries someone else?" she asked, pain flashed in his eyes.

"Then I would have to give up and concede that she chose someone else. I would probably rejoin the circus and travel for a bit, and then I would have to find another love" he said. "I refuse to give up my quest for love, nor should you" he said vehemently.

Ukyou stood up; fueled by Mousse's impassionate speech "you're right, I refuse to give up on Ranma. I'm not letting one of those hussies marry him without a fight. Thanks Mousse, I was thinking of releasing him from our engagement until I talked to you" she said, impulsively giving the Chinese boy a hug.

He blushed "glad I could help" he said, turning to leave.

"Mousse" Ukyou said, now it was her turn to blush. He turned his face questioningly towards her. "You can call me Uuchan if you want" she said. He just smiled in return.


	2. Goodbye My Love

"Hey Mousse, come on up" Ukyou called when she heard his footsteps on the stairs to her apartment. Since that day in the street, where he'd taken it upon himself to cheer her up, a friendship had been forged between them. The next day he'd shown up with a 'Chinese' love charm for her, which had turned out to be one of those necklaces with a grain of rice encased in glass, where the kanji for both names of a couple were engraved on it.

"I know a lot more effective ones, but I like these even though they're primarily made for tourists" he explained with a blush. Ukyou thought that the gift was kind of hokey, but softened when she saw Ranma's name on one side of it and hers on the other. So she had invited him to dinner. This had turned into many nights spent together. At first she'd been nervous about being alone with a male, but he hadn't tried anything. So she relaxed and enjoyed getting to know him. Mousse, when he wasn't acting all clingy and pathetic, was a nice guy who was fun to hang out with. She appreciated having a friend to discuss her frustrations about Ranma with and she allowed him to discuss Shampoo as much as he wished.

He told her that he was half-Caucasian and then she understood where his pale skin and green eyes came from. He told her about growing up in a female dominate society; it was hard for him she realized, even though he didn't say as much. He didn't have to; she now started to see why Ranma was so prized as being a powerful outsider to add his seed into the gene pool, whereas Mousse was considered to be the lowest of the low for his eyesight. The only attraction the place held for him when Shampoo wasn't there, was his family who he missed.

She in turn found herself telling him about growing up and training with her father. About travelling with him and how she was constantly lonely, how friends were found only to be abandoned in the pursuit of their trade. About meeting a young Ranma and being betrayed by him. How she won her first competition when she was seven and how proud her father was. He had been proud of his daughter, but she knew in her heart of hearts that he wished she was a boy. So she tried to become one. When he died she'd been devastated and tried to deny her sex by attending an all boy's school, then she came to find Ranma to seek revenge. However, she had fallen for him, reestablished their pledge and used her father's insurance money to buy her building and open her restaurant.

They grew closer to the point that she started to notice Mousse's physical charms. He was handsome in an androgynous sort of way, his features just the right combination of pretty and handsome. He was tall and his hair finer then usual Asian hair, bespeaking of his mixed parenthood. One day he removed his robe to help her with the dishes, he wore only a sleeveless Chinese shirt beneath and she had noticed how well defined his slender body was. He was just as handsome as the other males that they normally dealt with, only in an understated way. She found herself eying him in an appreciative manner when he would spend evenings with her, this caused her to blush. She doubted that he even realized of her developing crush on him. It wasn't that she wasn't still in love with Ranma, she just liked Mousse as well.

She turned to greet him at the door; they had gotten to the point that hugs were traded without awkwardness; these were beneficial to the affection starved teens. "Hi Mousse" she said happily, her smile of greeting faded at his grave expression"

"Uuchan, I can't stay for dinner. I came to say goodbye" he said sadly.

"But why?" she questioned, as he placed his hands on her shoulders.

"It's Cologne, she's fading. If she dies, it has to be in the village or Shampoo's leadership is forfeit. We have to leave for China tonight, there's no time" he explained. "I can only stay of a minute. I couldn't just call, I had to say goodbye in person" he said desperately.

"But why do you have to go with them?" she cried.

He raked his hand through his hair, as it looked like he had many times that night "Shampoo needs me more then she realizes. She's going to need my comfort if Cologne dies and my support in seizing the reins that Cologne left behind. She's my life" he explained.

"But what about me?" Ukyou said, feeling tears springing to her eyes.

"You'll be fine, you're a tough girl and you'll always come out on top. Look what you've accomplished so far and you're only sixteen! You'll marry Ranma and have lots of kids" he assured her, taking her chin in his hand. She smiled tearfully "But Shampoo's great-grandmother was her whole life, she's going to be devastated and will need me there" he explained. "Bye Uuchan" he said and went to kiss her cheek, but she turned her head so his lips met hers. He froze at first and then kissed her back; it was exactly how she pictured her first kiss from Ranma as being. It was slow, sweet and gentle with just a hint of desire, but sadly also regret. His arms snaked around her waist and drew her close as hers encircled his neck until their bodies were flush. When he reluctantly pulled away, both were breathing heavy. He plunged his face into her hair until his breathing returned to normal. "I'm sorry, I have to go" he said urgently.

"Will I ever see you again?" she asked.

Mousse paused at the top of the stairs "yes, I promise" he replied.

Six months later

The bride wore a beautiful strapless a-line gown that was modest and allowed only a hint of bust to show. She wore a white veil that reached the small of her back and carried a bouquet of yellow roses. The bridesmaids wore yellow dresses that had similar lines to the bride's and were just as tasteful. They carried bouquets of white roses. 'Such a beautiful wedding' Ukyou thought as Akane joined Ranma at the altar while she stood in line with the other bridesmaids, Kasumi and Nabiki.

Akane and Ranma had announced their love for each other and had insisted on getting married within a couple month's time, soon after the Amazon's had left. Ukyou had been devastated, but gracious as Mousse had told her he would be if Shampoo married someone else. She had helped them with the wedding planning and even agreed to be a bridesmaid; no one could accuse her of being bitter.

She watched the heirs to dojo wed and couldn't stop a tear from falling, hoping that people would think it to be a tear of joy for the happy couple. As she turned from having to see them kiss, a sight too painful for her to watch, there was a rustling of paper from her bodice. Mousse's letter; she'd brought it along for moral support. 'Another opportunity lost" she thought in reference to the letter and to the newly married couple in front of her.

He'd sounded ecstatic in it; Shampoo had agreed to marry him! Whether it be from loneliness from missing her grandmother or sadness that Ranma was no longer available, Ukyou wasn't sure. However, once he finished extolling his bride's virtues and catching Ukyou up on new developments in his life, he added.

"I'm sad to hear about Ranma choosing another fiancée. You were the best of the bunch I thought and couldn't imagine him wanting another. However, you're beautiful, feisty and all that a guy to could ever hope to want, so don't give up on love. Promise me that you won't. You'll find it; you just have to keep on looking.

Yours,

Mu Tzu"


	3. Through with Love

Ukyou Kuonji at eighteen was still tall and slim; she was just taller now. Her restaurant was thriving, but she was still single. She had had a few boyfriends since she and Ranma had parted ways and another fiancée who had recently ditched her for her cross-dressing. She blushed as she wrote yet another apology note to return an engagement present. She dashed hot tears out of her face as she thought about the final fight that broke the camel's back.

Flashback

"I can't be married to someone who dresses as a man and carries a giant spatula around!" Jiro cried. "People think you're a dyke and I can't have that for a wife!"

"You knew this about me when you met me!" she cried back.

Jiro was a handsome brunette with dark eyes and a well honed body, he was older then her and a police officer "I thought you'd out grow it by now. When are you going to stop this foolishness and grow up? I want to run for office so I'll need a wife who looks respectable, not some cross dressing boy-girl who hates being her own gender. I'm sorry, but I have to ask for my ring back" he said in a sympathetic tone of voice.

In a rage Ukyou flung it at him "fine, I guess if you're threatened by my masculine way of dressing, then you're not man enough for me! Go put on a dress Jiro" she screamed.

He bent and picked up his ring from the dirty street "no Ukyou, you go put on a dress. No one's going to want your gender bending ass if you don't, unless she has tits. This isn't Halloween, dressing up is cute when you're young, but gets stupid when you get old enough to know better" he said coldly.

"Fuck you, I'm done with love, it's never done me any favours nor have you" she screamed.

End Flashback

Now here she was arranging to return all the engagement presents that people had sent ahead of time for the party that was supposed to have taken place that night. She rubbed her tear burned eyes and went back to writing apologies. She had already called everyone to cancel. When she heard footsteps on the stairs, she called out "please let me know your name, what item it is and I'll find it" she said, not even bothering to see who it was.

"Mu Tzu from China, as for the item; I'm not sure what to say" he said as pulled off his sunglasses. "Don't you recognize me?" he asked. She just sat there stunned, drinking him in. He wore a black long sleeved t-shirt and black jeans instead of his usual robe-pants combination, he wasn't wearing his glasses and his hair was secured back in a low ponytail. Mousse had grown taller and filled out a little more; if anything he had gotten sexier, but it was still him.

"Mousse!" she cried and ran into his arms to hug him.

"That's more like it" he said in a happy tone of voice.

"You look great! Where are your glasses, what have you been doing?" she asked all at the same time.

He laughed "1. I got laser surgery at Shampoo's insistence and I'm glad I did. 2. I've been travelling for over a year and now have enrolled in the University of Nerima and shall be staying here for a while" he explained, taking the chair beside her. "How is everyone? Do Ranma and Akane have a bundle of joy yet?"

"Yes Gaori, she's one year old and damned if she doesn't look just like female type Ranma; she's got us all wrapped around her little finger. I'm her Aunt" Ukyou said with a smile. "Where's Shampoo, I missed that girl. I guess you probably have a bundle of joy of your own by now" she declared, glancing at his wedding ring.

Something in his eyes shut down "she died a couple months after we got married. There was festival coming up and she wanted a rare type of flower to wear in her hair. I had a fever, so she insisted that I rest while she fetched them from the mountain top that they grow on. A poisonous snake bit her, she never stood a chance. I climbed the mountain myself when she didn't return. I had to carry her all the way down it, our bundle of joy died with her. I doubt she even knew she was pregnant, she was really early on. It was too soon to even tell if it was male or female." he said sadly.

"Mousse, I'm so sorry" Ukyou said hugging him again, she could feel his breath hitch as he struggled against his tears.

Then he seemed to pull himself together "look at this, I'm not even here for five minutes and I'm already whining at you. Why don't tell me about yourself, you can start with all this" he said in a falsely bright tone as he indicated to the boxes. "Are you planning to have a yard sale?" he asked.

Ukyou blinked tears back and explained about her broken engagement, Mousse frowned and held her hand while she did. "What a jerk!" he cried in outrage. Ukyou nodded. "Nice of him to wait until the last possible minute. So what are you doing then?" Mousse asked.

"I'm making a list of all the gifts that I received, I'm putting a number on each one and then sending an apology note asking how they would like to receive them back" she explained.

Mousse pushed up his sleeves and said "then let me help you"

Couple of hours later, they were down to the last present "Dear Mrs. Toyohashi, we really would like to thank you for the gift of a really ugly vase that you sent us. But we fear that we shall never have children to blame for it getting smashed. Too bad, it would have looked great tucked into the back of a closet. Please let us know how you would like it returned. Yours, Ukyou. P.S. If you choose to have it sent to you, are you sure we should include packaging? That way you can claim insurance for the hideous thing" Mousse dictated as he held onto the ugly object in question.

Ukyou laughed "Mousse you can't say that!" she declared.

"It's the truth" he said, frowning at the vase.

She just started laughing again. "Would you care to stay for dinner?" she asked.

"Only if we have okonomiyaki, I haven't had a decent one of those since I was last here. I got addicted to them when I used to hang out with you" he explained.

"Humm, I think I can manage that" she said with a smile.

After they were done eating, Mousse insisted on doing dishes. He hefted up the bottle of dish soap "you seem to be out, do you have another bottle?" he asked.

"Downstairs in the commercial kitchen" she replied.

"I'll get it" he insisted.

Ukyou picked up his wedding band and noted that it was fairly scratched up, indicating an active lifestyle of the wearer. It was a thick gold band with an oddly small ring size for a man. She smiled at how slim his fingers were; it almost looked like it could fit her. Curious, she tilted to the light to see if it had an engraving. She gasped when it read Ranma Saotome. "She bought it a long time ago, it was meant for Ranma. The ring I buried her with reads Mrs. Saotome" Mousse said from behind her. He didn't bother to disguise the bitterness in his voice this time.

"But why didn't you insist on getting a different ring?" she asked confused.

"Wedding rings aren't even customary where we're from. She demanded that I wear it and I agree to, even though I knew it would mark me for what I was; a substitute for the man she actually loved. Heck, I was so desperate to marry her I probably would have agreed if she wanted me to wear a pink dress and put my hair in pigtails" he replied.

"So she never got over Ranma?" Ukyou asked in sympathy.

"No, she only married me because she thought it would make her look more mature to assume leadership and she wanted to have children. I was a blind enough to believe that she had finally come to love me" he said bitterly, his eyes were so full of pain that Ukyou felt like crying.

"Mousse, why didn't you call me? I could have helped you through this. I got your letters at first and then they stopped" she said.

"I was too ashamed to admit what everyone but me already saw was true, it would have been too humiliating. For thirteen years I managed to convince that I loved her enough for the both of us. My marriage was based on a lie, she didn't want me; she wanted Ranma. Yet I slept beside her every night, wore his ring and listened to her cry his name everytime we made love. She seemed to like me a bit at first and then I would find her staring at other guys; I knew she was going to renounce our marriage because she wanted a stronger man. Someone she felt worthy of her, someone more like Ranma. I would have lost her even if she had lived. At least if the baby, I didn't even know about had survived; it might have loved m...." Mousse said and then broke into sobs. "I'm sorry, I've never told anyone about this" he stammered through sobs. Ukyou put her arms around him and led him to the couch. She sat on his lap and held his heaving body against her own.

Afterwards she pushed him down, so that his head was in her lap. He told her the rest of his story; her heart went out to the broken man. "After Shampoo died, I had to leave the village; too many people were saying it should have been me. Cologne had surprised us by dividing, what turned out to be a considerable fortune and leaving half to Shampoo and half to me. I've no idea why she did that. I gave Shampoo's half to the village and took to travelling; I went a lot of places and saw many things. I almost rejoined the circus, but that seemed too cheerful a place for a new widower. Then I remembered that last place I was happy was here. So I spent the summer with a tutor to get my grades up, attended alternative school to get my diploma and then applied to the University of Nerima and was accepted. That's how I came to be here" he explained.

"You're always welcome. You have friends here" she said and stroked his soft dark hair.

"No I don't, I was an annoying pathetic dork back then who everyone hated and I don't blame them one bit" he said.

"That's not true, you were nice, polite and look at how wonderful you were to me that time when I was upset" she retorted.

"Well if there was ever a person who knows what's like to cry in the street while everyone ignores you, it's me" he said sarcastically.

"Mousse, no one ever thought badly of you" she soothed. "I bet that they would love to see you again. Kuno and Nabiki are engaged, Kasumi married Dr. Tofu and they have twin boys, Ryoga has a girlfriend, Kodachi ran off with the male half of the golden pair, Mikado Sanzenin and Ranma runs the dojo while Akane's preparing for law school. Shall I call them up so that we can all get together?" she asked.

"You really think that they would like to see me?" he asked.

"Get the old gang back together, heck ya. Any excuse that we can think of, we're all friends now" she assured him. "Is there a girlfriend or a wife you would like invite along?" she asked causally.

Mousse's eyes went hard again "I gave up on dating long ago, after I realized that my love was based on a lie. There have been girls coming on to me since Shampoo's death, some nice girls who ask me out for coffee and others who crudely say that they want to get into my pants. I fall so easily that I don't trust myself to be with anyone. I gave up on love a long time ago, it isn't worth the pain it causes" he said.

"But you can't give up, you always told me never to do that. Besides, you still wear your wedding ring, that has to count for something" she said, showing it to him. She was sad about how bitter the passionate young man had become.

He took it from her and firmly slipped it onto his finger "And I was wrong to tell you that. The ring is to remind myself not to be such a fool again" he replied.

Confused, Ukyou called Akane to tell her of Mousse being in town. Akane was thrilled and invited them to dinner for the next night, with a promise to invite the rest of the gang to see their long absent friend. Akane listened in sympathy to Mousse's sad story; he and Ukyou had decided to let everyone know about it ahead of time to avoid awkward situations. Ukyou turned to him after she hung the phone "dinner's set for tomorrow night" she said "everyone's looking forward to seeing you"

He looked somewhat dubious about this, but nodded "well, I should go. I have to find a hotel room until I can find an apartment" he said.

"Bite your tongue Sugar. I have a spare bedroom, so you're staying here, mister. Besides, we have a lot of catching up to do" she said sternly.

"Okay, twist my rubber arm" Mousse said, feeling a little more cheerful now, happy to spend time with an old friend. He felt better then he had in years.


	4. Unrequited Love

Ukyou nearly sucked in her breath at the masculine beauty on display when Mousse came out of 'his' room wearing a dark grey suit and black shirt with a mandarin collar. His hair was freshly washed and hung loose and straight to his waist, as it always had since she'd known him. "Do I look okay?" he asked her nervously.

"You look good enough to eat" she assured him. "Just wondering why you're wearing so much black these days. Have you become Goth?" she joked.

"No when I decided leave my old life behind; I decided it was time for a change in every way. I still practice my art, but I don't wear the robe fulltime anymore. Besides, getting stains out of white clothes everyday is a bitch. I'm pretty sure that my hands are three shades lighter then they're supposed to be because of the bleach I used to wash my clothes in" he said.

Ukyou held up his hands and looked, "nope, you just look like a gaijin" she teased. "Yes that finger is just as white as the rest" she commented.

When they arrived at the Tendo dojo, Mousse was struck by how improved the place looked. The house was in much better shape and the dojo sported a new sign that read "The Saotome-Tendo Martial Arts School of Anything Goes" with a phone number listed and hours displayed.

"Wait Mousse, I wasn't even thinking. Are you okay to see Ranma after how Shampoo treated you?" Ukyou asked in panic.

He smiled at her "kind of late to ask now. I have no problem with Ranma, it's not his fault I married a stalker like I used to be" he said somewhat ironically. "Come on Uuchan, let's get this show on the road" he said and rang the doorbell.

Akane came to the door; she was a little more voluptuous from giving birth, her hair longer and she was taller. "Mousse you look great!" she said and surprised him by hugging him.

"You look wonderful yourself Saotome-san" Mousse replied.

"Call me Akane" she laughed. "Anyone who tried to kill my husband deserves to call us by our first names" she said.

"Good thing he didn't succeed" said Ranma, putting his arm around his wife's slim waist.

Mousse goggled at how developed he'd become "I certainly wouldn't have challenged you if you'd looked like that back then. You look like the Terminator" he said.

"You're looking good yourself, you clean up well. Where're your glasses?" the taller and much broader Ranma inquired

"Laser surgery, amazingly enough it worked and poof, no more coke bottle glasses" Mousse replied.

"So still flinging the weapons around?" Ranma asked.

"Of course, I've improved over time. Perhaps I need to give you a demonstration, or just leave you the duck training potty" Mousse teased him.

Ranma winced "don't remind me" he said sourly.

They were shown in and everyone marveled at changes in the Chinese man.

"Hi Mousse, come meet our sons" Kasumi said, bringing him over to the two dark-haired infants nestled in their car seats. Mousse smiled at them and one opened his dark eyes, shifted and went back to sleep. Mousse chuckled at this; he had a soft spot for children. "I'd let you hold one, but it's really hard to get them to sleep at the same time as they are now. Really hard" Kasumi said apologetically.

Ranma came by and dropped a small redheaded infant with bright blues eyes into Mousse's arms "here, this one's always awake" he said fondly.

"Wow, she really does look your female half" Mousse exclaimed.

"Yeah, she's going to love it when she's sixteen and her old dad looks just like her" Ranma said.

"She's going to be very confused" Mousse predicted.

"Hey yours will be just as confused, duck man" Ranma teased, and then caught the warning glare from Akane. "I'm sorry" he said sincerely.

Mousse rubbed the back of his head nervously, a habit that he'd picked up from Ranma. "It's okay, I'm not having children anyway; they might have webbed feet or something" he said.

"Come help me serve Ranma" Akane said hastily, leaving Mousse holding the baby.

"You want me to take the little fusspot?" Ukyou offered.

Mousse laughed when the tiny redhead grabbed some of his hair and started to chew on it, he fished it out of her mouth, so she grabbed his finger instead and started gnawing on it with tiny teeth. "No its okay, I like children; I'll keep the little cannibal for a while" he said. He didn't see Ukyou look wistful at the sight of him holding a baby.

Mousse could only marvel at how everyone had changed, yet stayed the same. Nabiki looked exactly the same and seemed to have influenced her now taller fiancé to wear normal clothes. Ryoga had broadened out, just like Ranma and had grown his hair longer and his girlfriend, Akira was just super adorable and really friendly. Mousse laughed over Kodachi's antics in Brazil, where she and her runaway groom were on honeymoon; she seemed as nutty as ever. Mousse enjoyed having dinner with his ex-enemies and was now glad that he'd come to the craziest place he knew to escape the craziness of his life.

Akane noticed how Ukyou was gazing at Mousse and put two and two together. "Ukyou, would you help me with the dishes?" Akane asked.

"I'll help honey" Ranma volunteered.

Akane gripped Ukyou's hand and said "no thanks, I want Ukyou to help me" she cried, practically dragging the stunned girl into the kitchen. The guys just rolled their eyes at each other, understanding the girl talk signal; while Mousse remained oblivious to what had just transpired.

Akane scraped the dishes and handed them to Ukyou to be put in the dishwasher, which the Saotome-Tendo household now proudly owned. "So Mousse is staying with you?" she commented.

Ukyou leaned forward so that her hair covered her burning cheeks "yes we became friends shortly before he left" she explained.

"What sort of friends?" Akane asked causally.

"Just friend, friends, like you used to be with the other boys" Ukyou answered.

"So there's nothing going on between you two?" Akane asked, clearly disappointed.

Ukyou decided to level with her "I'm fond of him and would like to be more then friends, but he's too emotionally fragile for that" she said. "He's going to need time, Shampoo really messed him up, and so he's sworn off love and relationships" she explained.

"What man doesn't come with baggage? Just give him time and be there for him as a friend until he's ready. He's a keeper, better grab him before someone more persistent scoops him up" Akane advised.

"Believe me, I'm not giving up" Ukyou swore. She went back to the living room and watched as Mousse entertained Gaori by juggling brightly coloured balls until the baby giggled and clapped her hands. Then crawled over and stole a yellow one when he let them drop.

"Guess she takes after her mother with her love of yellow" he said to Ukyou as they watched her try and shove the ball into her mouth. His eyes were happy, but Ukyou could tell that he was thinking about his own unborn child.

"Everyone's leaving and Akane and Ranma have to put the wee monster to bed" Ukyou said.

"Let's go home then" he replied.

When they arrived home, they both changed into their pajamas and decided to have a night cap. Ukyou studied Mousse, he looked cozy in his blue flannel pajamas, black terrycloth robe and slippers "did you have fun tonight?" she asked.

He nodded and watched how the sake swirled in his glass "yes, everyone was a lot nicer then I remembered. That was a good idea" said.

"I guess that it must be painful to be in the presence of happy couples when you're single?" Mousse said suddenly.

"Sometimes" she admitted. "How about you?"

"It always reminds me of what could have been and never will" he said, and then laughed. "You must be getting sick of me being so melodramatic" he said.

"I could never get sick of you" she promised him.

"I don't know why" he said and finished off his drink and stood up "I should turn in" he said and kissed her cheek, then paused. "You want hear something crazy? When we used to hang out, I had this huge crush on you. Goes to show how nuts I was, you were in love with Ranma and I was in love with Shampoo, or so I thought. Yet I still developed feelings for you"

Ukyou touched her cheek and faintly agreed "yes, very crazy"

They were awaken a couple of hours later by the apartment door being flung open and someone shouting "Ukyou where are you?" She scurried out of her bedroom clad in just her long nightshirt, her spatula clutched in her hand in a defensive manner.

"Jiro?" she questioned to see her ex-fiancé weaving drunkenly in her hallway. She lowered her spatula and stared at him in surprise, which is all the time he needed to pin her against the wall. Ukyou could have kicked his can, but wanted to deal with him quickly and send him on his way, so she let him.

He leaned in and puffed whiskey flavoured breath into her face as he said in a low voice "we were engaged for over a year and you would barely let me kiss you and now you're fucking some guy who's staying you. Don't bother denying it; Haruka saw him with you when she came to get her present, she said you two seemed awfully chummy."

"She's wrong; I have an old friend staying with me. We aren't that way" she hissed.

"Which friend?" he demanded.

"Mousse" she replied, she'd told him about her past crushes and boyfriends.

"The Chinese guy you were sweet on when you were sixteen?" he asked, demanding confirmation.

"What the hell's going on here?" Mousse demanded, exiting his room. He'd taken his shirt off at some point and even from her vantage point, she found herself admiring him. His chest was smooth, muscular and hairless. Against the blackness of his slightly mussed hair, he looked to be carved out of marble; only a slightly yellow ting betrayed his Chinese heritage. With his green eyes snapping with anger, Ukyo thought that he looked like an avenging angle. "Uuchan come to me" he ordered.

Surprised, she past Jiro and stepped behind Mousse. Normally she would have been insulted by someone trying to protect her; now it kind of turned her on. He drew a knife out of nowhere and said "who are you?" in a threatening voice.

"He's my ex-fiancé" she explained.

Mousse put down the knife "I thought that you were supposed to be an officer of the law, what're you doing breaking into young woman's homes so late at night?"

"I heard she was living with some guy?" Jiro stated.

"I'm her roommate; nothing more. Even if there was something going on, what's it to you? You broke up with her" he snarled.

"No guy likes being replaced so fast" Jiro said, somewhat calmer.

"You haven't been. You're trespassing, I suggest you leave before we call the sober police and tell your buddies about you harassing your ex" Mousse advised.

Jiro paled, he hadn't thought that far ahead when he'd gone drinking. The alcohol had made Ukyou's flaunting another male before him seem more acute. He examined them; they were both dressed and had been sleeping apart "I'm sorry Ukyou, I jumped to conclusions" he said humbly.

"Good, now give the lady her key and leave. Even if you have another copy, we're getting the locks changed in the morning and sending you the bill" Mousse said.

Jiro pulled out the key, put it on an end table and left quickly. Mousse visibly relaxed. He put his arms around Ukyou and hugged her tight, and then just as quickly pulled away. "Are you okay" he asked her.

She reproved "you didn't have to do the knight in shining armor thing, I could have knocked his block of if I wanted" she pointed out.

"I didn't doubt that for a second; Jiro's ego was bruised and had a female kicked his can, he could have gotten violent. With another guy calling the shots and explaining the situation, he backed off when he realized there was no real threat to his manhood. I know the type of guy" he explained.

"I suppose your right, you're my hero" Ukyou said in a breathy, facetious voice.

He pushed her towards her room and said "get to bed" with a crooked smile; her laughter reached him even after he closed the door.

Mousse went back to his own room and laid thinking in the dark.

Mousse POV

I hugged her and all I could feel was a stab of lust. I could feel her body warmth through the thin nightshirt that she wore, her full breasts pressed against my chest and her slim toned curves. It was all that I could do to prevent myself from tearing off the clothes between and taking her up against the wall. I wanted to stab myself inside her and fuck her until she screamed my name. Instead I just pulled away and pushed her into her bedroom.

I wish I could tell her the full story of my so-called marriage, but even the details she knew were pathetic enough.

I had gotten on the plane to take the dying Cologne, Shampoo and I back to the place I truly hated, with my body still tingling from Ukyou's kiss goodbye. I knew that it was wrong, but I had developed feelings for her of lust, coupled with something akin to love I suppose when I think about it now. Yet I knew that I could never claim either of these things from her, so I tamped down my growing emotions and accepted only the affection she offered. She was nice to me and treated me with respect; something that I wasn't used to. I was just 'duck boy' to everyone else, a figure of fun and amusement to all. I know that she used to laugh at me too; I remembered her from the crowd cheering Ranma on when he first defeated me. I didn't hold it against her.

Night after night we would drink tea and talk about our dream spouses, without her becoming aware that my interest was shifting. So many times I looked into her beautiful, animate face and longed to remove her clothes, to slowly unwrap her chest bindings to my mouth and fingers. To slip her panties from her body and part the short wiry curls that would perfectly match those on her head and worship her pussy until she mewed with pleasure. I would mount her after the pinnacle of her pleasure and make love to her until she cried my name while we came together. It would have been nice to have someone cry my name for once. What a joke.

My marriage, now there was another joke. Once Cologne had succumbed to old age, Shampoo had been inconsolable. She'd clung to me like a lifeline and could barely stand my being away from her for a second. Yet I knew that her ability to rule was being challenged by a cousin of hers. I forced her out of her funk, I wrote her speeches, I told her what officials she needed on her side, I arranged truces for battles that had been raging between families for centuries and I suggested marriage alliances to hold these truces. All of this I did from the shadows, giving her all the credit. I was the man behind the woman and my instructions paid off, she won and became the leader. Realizing I was invaluable, she agreed to our marriage and ceded defeat to make it possible.

Another joke; my wedding night. I admitted to her that I wasn't a virgin and apologized for this. Like she cared! All those things I longed to do with Ukyou, I did to my virgin wife. I lovingly ate her out for over an hour, driving her to spend many times, wanting there to be as little pain as possible for her. When I finally penetrated her, I was as gentle as I could be. It should have been the greatest experience of my life, to have the woman I loved impaled on my body and it was until she screamed Ranma's name. It hurt so much that I felt like something died inside me that night. I'd thought that my innocence was taken the night a drunken twenty year old pushed me back onto a musty smelling futon and mounted me. Now I realized that it was the night my wife rejected my love. The final bit of it died the night I buried my child.

Once Shampoo grew in power, I became an embarrassment with my bad eyesight and bumbling ways. We got my eyesight fixed but that was just the beginning of my problems. I was a late bloomer I realize now. I was embarrassed of my pale skin, height, thin frame and green eyes, all of these things marked me as being of mixed blood. Amazon men are meant to be submissive, but possess a broad, powerful frame and stellar good looks. I looked delicate compared to the average male. I slouched, I wore my clothes loose even for a weapons master and wore glasses that barely corrected my vision, but hid my eye colour. I could feel Shampoo's attention shifting away from me while watching other males compete in the male martial arts tournaments. I knew she was courting someone else's favour, when my inquires as to her whereabouts, were met with "she's busy" and snickers as I walked away. She grew distant and didn't wish to make love even the few times we still did.

When she insisted on having a certain type of flower to wear in her hair for a festival, I knew was probably because it was her new love's favourite. I was really ill and for once she took pity on me and went to climb the mountain herself. After half a day had elapsed, I forced myself to climb it as I was worried about my wife. When I got to the top, I was positive that what I was seeing was a fever induced hallucination. My wife lay on the ground with her skin blotchy and swollen and her lips empurpled, she still held the flowers in her hands. I touched her, she was so cold and blood seemed to have leaked from her womb. I sobbed like a demented thing and then put her over my shoulder and carried her down the mountain. I would only release her into the hands of a healer that I trusted and would allow no other to touch her. I stayed with her as she was examined and then discovered about our child. The blood at her vagina proved to be a spontaneous abortion that had been caused by convulsions that were a side effect of the venom. I requested that the remains of my child be given to me for burial; the healer had always been kind to me and agreed. She wrapped them up in a bundle of cloth and handed them to me.

I was met at the door by a mourning committee, the most prominent member being a male, who at first I thought was Ranma, then I realized it was a warrior from another Amazon village who could have been Ranma's double; my replacement. I was shoved out of the way in favour of him; they'd already given over to him, the rituals that are the rights of the husband. They'd already acknowledged his claim on her and I, as the rightful widower, was ignored.

I left taking the tiny bundle with me, feeling sad that this was the only product of the love I'd strived so long for. I knew that this was my child indeed; Shampoo, despite her flaws wouldn't have taken a man into her bed unless he was her rightful husband. I carried it to my mother's farm and buried it under a Saruka tree; I didn't have anyway to mark the grave or have a name for the baby. So I decided that it was female and named her after the one woman who'd been kind to me. In the loose dirt, I wrote the kanji for Shampoo's surname, as this was the Amazon way. I wrote Xian in Chinese and Ukyou in Japanese. I sat beside my little Ukyou all night long and talked to her as if she was afraid of the dark. I made up a life for her full of love and laughter, inventing boyfriends and a husband. I told her that I wouldn't marry again because rejected Amazon husbands never do; no one wants someone else's leaving, but I would have had her. Her mother would have acknowledged her as mine and she could have come and visited me. I think that I went slightly mad that night.

In the morning I left with only the clothes on my back. I hiked into town and went to see the lawyer who Cologne had hired to handle her estates. I signed a document to the effect that I was giving Shampoo's half to the village and left with my half in the form of bank draft. It was a huge amount of money and I knew it, I took to the bank and within half an hour, I'd invested half of it and had the rest sitting in a high interest saving account to begin my new life.

I bought new clothes, black the opposite of what I normally wore. They were formfitting, unlike my normal clothes. I was no longer concerned about the slenderness of my body; I was simply shaped as I was meant to be. I stood straight tall and started wearing my hair in a ponytail to emphasis my green eyes. I no longer cared or tried to disguise that I was of mixed blood, something that I'd shyly admitted only to Ukyou when I was younger and more innocent. I took to traveling anywhere they would give me visa for and told a girl in a bar one night that my father was Caucasian and my mother Chinese, her reaction was "cool, like Brandon Lee." I thought it rather ironic that biggest shame was brushed off so causally.

I travelled all over the word, a true vagabond with nothing to keep me anywhere. I belonged nowhere; even my own village had rejected me. With experience, I gained confidence and girls noticed me, oh boy they noticed me. For once I knew how Ranma felt, yet I let none of them close. I'd walled up my emotions and chose celibacy for myself. I still liked the attention and would revel when one girl got mad at her friend because I was paying more attention to her. Yet all I allowed myself was a couple of kisses from a stranger when I felt lonely; I've always loved hugs.

I always gave my name as Mousse. Mu Tzu was a stupid little pussy wimp who wasted his life in the pursuit of love over a spoiled girl. Mu Tzu was dead; long live Mousse.

One night I watched the fireworks over a beach in Spain as they heralded in the New Year and saw everyone kiss their special someone and realized that I didn't have anyone to even kiss at that moment. This got me questioning where I belonged, I realized that the only place I'd ever felt any level of acceptance was with the circus or in Nerima. I rejected the circus with its carnie folk with their slack morals and decided that Nerima it was to be.

I continued my studies. My mother had insisted that we all get an education and drove us in her ox cart to the nearest school in town everyday. I dropped out to follow Shampoo to Japan, so I wasn't that far behind and had always achieved good grades with minimal effort. I got a tutor and attended alternative school for six months to achieve an almost perfect grade point average. Then I applied and was accepted by the University of Nerima.

On that day I packed my bags and headed directly to Uuchan's restaurant, happy to fulfill the promise that I made to her all those years ago. She hadn't changed, except to grow more gorgeous.

Now I'm living with her as a roommate and all I can think about is making love to her. Yet she still only wants me as a friend, so again I'm forced to accept her crumbs of affection. Life can be so ironic when you have a crush that never dies.

It's so like me to always be chasing rainbows.


	5. Lust or Love?

December 24th

Mousse could only smile at everyone, completely touched that they'd gone through so much effort to throw a birthday party for him. A first for him, they didn't make a big production of it at home the way that they did here. Normally his mother would give him a present and make his favourite meal. He looked at Ukyou and shared a smile with her; she was the reason for the party. Mousse was one of those individuals who was born on December 24. He hadn't told Ukyou that his nineteenth birthday was coming up, he'd been to shy to, it was his mother sending him a gift that had arrived three days early that tipped her off. She'd swung into action and before he could protest a party was arranged at the Tendo house which all the busy couples and parents had set time aside to attend. He looked around at the slightly tipsy teenagers and couldn't stop smiling; he was kind of tipsy too.

Ukyou saw Mousse standing alone and went up to him, she wrapped her arm around his waist "you having fun Sugar?" she asked him, slightly tipsy herself.

"Of course I am; I can't believe you did all this in three days" he said, hugging her back and kissing the top of her head. She watched everyone else exchange covert expressions as if to say 'told you those two were an item.' She sighed, if they only knew that in three months their relationship hadn't progressed beyond hugs and chaste kisses. Yet the gang treated them like a couple, all invitations were extending to both of them and it was just accepted that they would come together. Everyone liked the more mature Mousse and thought they were great together. But they weren't and Ukyou knew it. The two of them lived together while they both attended school and got along well together. They shopped together; they prepared food and helped each other with homework. There was rarely a time when they weren't together. Ukyou refused to let Mousse pay rent, but he still threw money at her for bills and food. He was a polite and wonderful roommate, even though Ukyou craved more from him. She had no clue that he did too.

The party didn't lack for food, Kasumi had put on quite the spread despite being the busy mother of twins. Ukyou had brought her portable grill and was making custom orders of Okonomiyaki and Mousse had made a batch of a spicy chicken ramen that he knew Ranma and Akane favoured and have rented a chaffing dish to keep it warm. He knew all of Cologne's so-called secret Ramen recipes as they were the same ones that everyone made at home.

Mousse grinned when Kodachi walked in with her new husband, Mikado. "Kuno-san, so good to see you again" he said.

"Hello Mousse is that gorgeous creature really you?" she asked. "Its Sanzenin-san now, just call me Kodachi" she advised him.

Mousse blushed "I've made a few adjustments" he replied.

"Better looking then me?" Mikado teased her; he was still as good looking as ever but had abandoned his playboy's ways in the comfort of marriage.

Kodachi laughed her husband's mock jealousy "hard to say, you're both cute but in different ways. Tell me you wouldn't kill to have those eyes!" she said.

"Sorry I've grown rather fond of them now that they work" Mousse joked. Ranma joined them and handed the couple a rum and coke that everyone else was getting pickled on.

"Hi Mikado, you still kissing unwilling girls?" he asked.

"Like she would let me!" he replied, indicating to Kodachi "are you still annoyed about the kiss? It's not my fault you make a cute girl. You have the distinction of being the only guy I've ever kissed" he pointed out.

"I guess that it is kind of funny when you think about it" Ranma laughed. "I always wondered, did you and Azusa ever.....?" Ranma asked ambiguously.

Mikado laughed "no I like my girls a little crazy, not downright nuts. We stopped skating together when she was sent to the mental institution for kidnapping P-chan from Akane. Finding her taking a bath with a naked man and calling him Charlotte was enough to finally convince her parents to have her committed" he explained.

"Hey it was no picnic for me either, you have no idea how long it took me to convince Akira that I wasn't there willingly. Stupid Jusenkyo curse" Ryoga said, baring his fangs and blushing.

"Aw come on P-Chan, you can't say that you didn't enjoy taking a bath with that cute girl just a wee bit" Akane chimed in.

Ryoga blushed 'between Charlotte and P-Chan, I have to wonder why we hangout with these people" he stated to Akira.

"We do because we're both eccentric, so we need other crazy people around us to balance that out" she explained with a giggle.

"So Mousse, do you still become a duck?" Ryoga asked.

Mousse grinned and said triumphantly "not since I visited the spring of the drowned man"

"W-what and you didn't bring any back for us?" Ranma cried.

Mousse frowned, "sorry I departed China rather suddenly and didn't have time to grab any. I'll get a couple of bottles the next time I go" he promised.

The boys relaxed and went back to discussing martial arts while Akane dragged Ukyou into the kitchen on the pretention of seeing to the cake. "So are you actually an item yet?" she asked excitedly, they'd seemed so cuddly that night.

Ukyou took a sip of her drink "If I get one more hug and kiss on the cheek, I'm borrowing paralysis power from Kodachi and having my way with him" she said with a sigh of frustration.

"And you would be most welcome to it, I no longer have any use for it" Kodachi said, she'd overhear the conversation as she'd walked into the kitchen. "I take it that this is in reference to a certain handsome Chinese roommate of yours? Why not just get some lingerie and seduce him? Nothing says 'take me' like wearing frilly little nothings" she pointed out reasonably.

Ukyou blushed and then admitted something that she'd never told her friends before "I don't know how to seduce a man, I'm a virgin" She waited for her friend's reaction, they just stared at her like she had two heads and Kodachi dropped her drink.

"Ukyou's a virgin?" Ranma questioned, he'd happened to overhear them as well.

Ukyou turned beet red and Akane scooted Ranma out of the kitchen"honey why don't you see if anyone needs another drink?" she suggested.

He just stared at Ukyou and said "We're out of rum; I came to see if you know where another bottle is" he explained.

"Ah, top shelf over the stove, I hid it there from Hopposai" Akane said and literally shoved him from the kitchen. "You've had boyfriends and another fiancé. How could you still be a virgin?" Akane asked.

"I vowed to Mousse that I would wait for my wedding night" Ukyou explained. "We got close after Ranma yelled those horrible things at me that day and Mousse comforted me" Ukyou explained.

Akane had heard all about that day "you know Ranma feels horrible about what he said? He'd been frustrated about the situation for a long time and accidently took it out on you"

Ukyou laughed "I know, he's still apologizing about it to this day. But after that happened, Mousse and I became pretty close. He's admitted that he had a crush on me. I kissed him the night he left and it was amazing" Ukyou said, remembering how her body had tingled for hours afterwards.

"It seems to me that if you break your vow with the person you made it to, it wouldn't count" Kodachi pointed out.

Ukyou sighed "it's more then that in his culture virginity is sacred. If unmarried people have sex, they're pretty much married" she explained.

"So don't tell him until after and sort it out then" Akane said.

"Isn't that kind of dishonest?" Ukyou said.

"Alls fair in love and war" Kodachi said. "Besides, its not like you're going to insist on marriage, you just want to show him how you feel"

Mousse was wondering why the cake was taking so long, they'd dimmed the lights and made him sit at the head of the table with a goofy hat on his head. When the girls came out singing happy birthday, Ukyou gave him a kiss on the forehead and whispered "you have to make a wish and blow out all the candles in a single breath." Mousse closed his eyes, wished for the one thing that was keeping him awake at night and blew out all nineteen candles. "What did you wish for?" she asked. Mousse blushed, visions of removing her silky midnight blue top and tight pants dancing in his head.

"You really don't want to know" he replied.

December 25th

"Hey Mousse, where's that gravy?" Ukyou called. One year she thought it would be fun to serve a full Christmas turkey dinner in her restaurant for those that didn't have any place to go or no family. It was such a hit that she continued it every year. She did it as cheaply as possible so that seniors could afford it.

She laughed when Mousse came out of the back; he helped her out by acting as a waiter when he could. He was wearing her Christmas gift to him, they'd both decided that the theme would be tacky sweaters and she'd succeeded. His was green with a stoned looking deer staring out on the front, that wrapped around his body to where its butt showed in back. "It matches your eyes" she said cheekily to the horrified looking Mousse. He wore that with a pair of black slacks and a black nose, with a pair of felt antlers on his head. He was quite the sight.

She was wearing his gift; it was a red sweater with a huge wreath on the front that actually had twinkling lights that worked off a watch battery attached to the hem. "You look nice in red" he said smugly. She wore that with a Santa hat.

Mousse came out holding a pot "which delicious young thing needs gravy?" he asked. "I bet it's you Mrs. Ikeda" he teased and ladled more gravy over her mash potatoes and turkey.

The eighty year old, delicious young thing blushed and observed "such a flirt, I'm surprised that you two aren't breeding like rabbits yet"

Ukyou blushed "N-no, we're just friends" she stammered.

Mrs. Ikeda replied "I was just friends with my late husband for years and we had eight children"

"We're not married" she said, as red as her sweater. Mousse stood beside her, struggling not to laugh at her embarrassment.

"Well young man what're you waiting for? Ask her to marry you" Mrs. Ikeda demanded.

"Sorry, my wife died recently and I'm not ready for that step" he said honestly.

"Oh, I'm so sorry" Mrs. Ikeda said, mollified.

Ukyou escaped into the kitchen, glad that the night would be over soon. Mousse joined her "you okay? Sorry she put you on the spot like that. You'll marry when you meet the right guy" he offered.

She leaned against the counter "how about you? Are you ever going to remarry? After all you're really young to be a widower and you have loads of time to meet someone else" she pointed out.

"I doubt it, perhaps someday" he said with a shrug.

"Yes perhaps" she agreed. "So what do you want to do for New Years, feel like going to Kuno's party?" she asked to change the subject.

He winced "actually I'll probably stay home; I don't much care for going out on New Years. Wadding through wall to wall drunks isn't my idea of fun" he explained.

"Well Sugar, why don't we get dressed up, grab some bubbly. get take out sushi and have our own party"

"I don't want to ruin your fun, you could still go out" he offered.

"Bite your tongue, as if I could ever have a bad time with you! I hate going out single on New Years, all my friends give me sympathy kisses on the cheek or drunken guys stick their tongues down my throat, no thanks."

"Sure if you want to" he replied.

"So what do you do for Chinese New Years then, go to see the dragons on parade in China Town?" she asked.

"Hell no, I'm usually the dragon's head in the parade" he replied.

December 31st

Ukyou went to slip into a nice white cotton blouse with black slacks and then remembered what Jiro said about wearing a dress. She put them back in her closet and pulled out the short plum coloured dress that Akane had insisted she buy the last time they were shopping together. She'd never worn it before. It had thin straps, was form fitting and came to mid thigh. She pulled it on over her chest bindings and panties. It fit like a glove, but she could see her bindings, so she pulled it off and removed them. She went to pull out a bra and then paused and put it back. She pulled off her panties and went to replace them with a thong and then put that back too. Blushing she stepped back into the dress with nothing on underneath, she did up the zipper and shivered. The silky lining rubbed against her bare skin and made her feel quite naughty. Her nipples instantly went hard as she looked at herself. The absence of anything marring the lines of the dress was quite suggestive and she looked stunning in the colour. Feeling bold, she pulled out the kiss proof lipstick that she had bought for Akane's wedding and put it on, it matched the dress almost perfectly. Then she took down her ponytail and backcombed her hair to tease it into a slightly messy volumized hairdo.

She met Mousse coming out his bedroom and smiled in appreciation at his well tailored black dress shirt and dark grey slacks. "Wow" he said when he saw her.

"Thanks I felt like being girly tonight" she said.

"It becomes you very well" Mousse said and pushed her chair in, he'd already arranged the sushi on their plates. He quickly sat down and placed his napkin in his lap to hide his erection, hoping she hadn't seen it.

"Champagne?" she asked innocently.

They ate and moved into the living room to watch the red and white song festival and got more progressively giggly as time went on, neither one used to drinking champagne. "So as you are part gaijin, do you kiss in midnight?" she asked as causally as possible.

He blushed "I haven't really in the past" he admitted.

"Would you like to? All we have to do is count down the seconds to midnight and kiss" she explained.

"I know how it's done. Sure, why not?" Mousse said, not seeing how an innocent little kiss could hurt.

She turned the TV onto a weather station that showed the time and they both counted the seconds out loud. Then he leaned over and kissed her just as softly as before. Her lips tasted of champagne, and the contact set off a spark in his body that made his head spin. She looped her arms around his neck deepened the kiss, she felt intoxicated in a way that had nothing to do with the champagne. His arm tightened around her waist as he drew her closer, suddenly crushing her to his chest as a surge of adrenaline raced through his veins. She moaned as his tongue parted her lips and explored the hot depths of her mouth. Suddenly they were both on broad, long couch together, past the point of all reason. Lust had conquered them. Her hands caressed his back, his arms, his chest, and he gloried in her soft loving touch. No woman had ever touched him like she did, like he was the most wonderful treasure. With trembling fingers she undid the buttons of his shirt, until she pushed it from his shoulder and he let her. While he undid the zipper of her dress and pushed the top down, with a sigh he gazed with reverence at her breasts and then took one in his mouth to lave the tender bud with his tongue. She moaned and then gasped when his hand slid up her supple thighs and a finger slipped into her. She was so wet, Mousse's self control was gone; it was all that he could do not to simply throw her down and rut her hard. He straightened so that he could slip her dress over her head, revealing to him the treasures that he'd fantasized about for two years.

Ukyou nervously undid his pants and helped him removed them, her mouth dry at the sight of his hard slim body. He kissed her hungrily this time, his fingers slipped back inside her as his thumb strummed her clit. He went to move down her body to taste her, she had a delicious smoky taste.

She gasped "please, I need you inside me" bracing herself to be penetrated for the first time in her life. Pushing her back, he settled himself against her and gently but firmly pushed himself inside. He was puzzled for a second when he felt resistance, and then he was inside her hot silken sheath. She gasped as if in pain, there wasn't much because her hymen was in tatters from her years of martial arts but there was enough to cause a sharp intimate pain. He realized that he had just taken her virginity and went to pull away. She wrapped her arms and legs around him and wouldn't let him "don't stop" she almost begged and kissed him hard. All good intentions flew out the window and he began to move inside her with slow, powerful strokes until she started mewling with pleasure and moving with time with him, like they were old lovers. He bit his lip, she felt nothing less then glorious, and her pussy was soft, wet and tight around him. He leaned back so that each stroke rubbed against her g-spot while his pubic bone rubbed her clit. Her walls started convulsing at her approaching orgasm; she dug her fingers into his back and cried his name as she peaked. He bit his lip again; she came so hard that he wanted to burst into her, but managed to hold back. He started pounding into her and was rewarded with her cumming even harder this time, his cry echo hers. The came together as one and it was perfect. His triumph was that it was his name that she screamed, him that she wanted and him that she desired.

He held her perfect heaving body in his arms for a few seconds and then he realized how monumental what just happened was. He'd just made love to Ukyou, a girl that he'd wanted for years and it had been the best sex he'd ever had. She'd been so passionate yet tender at the same time. It was ludicrous, it was a stupid thing to do as it could wreck their friendship yet it had felt so natural. Then he started to panic, he hadn't used any protection, what if......? He raised his head and looked into her eyes, searching for signs of regret, but saw only happiness and contentment there while she held him like he was the most precious thing in Japan. "Ukyou?" he questioned.

She searched his eyes as well; she'd shaken him she realized. He was the sort of person to whom causal sex was almost a foreign concept. His eyes had lost the guarded expression that he normally had; leaving him looking softer and more vulnerable, reminding her of the younger Mousse who'd told her that love was the only thing worth fighting for.


	6. Love Will Find a Way

Actually as I haven't read the manga, Scorpaniac, in episode 31 his eyes are green. I think he's meant to look sexier then usual in 31 and 32; then again they flip his eye colour around all the time in the series. However I like green eyes, so that's the colour I choose. Btw Mousse's constant whining irritates me, but so does Ranma's bragging and Akane constant pervert references.

Sorry SithKnight_Galen is right, I always spell Akari wrong. Duh

Btw, I have one more chapter planned for this puppy.

******

Ukyou could only stare at Mousse while he regarded her warily. She lazily stroked her fingers through his soft hair and wondered how Shampoo could still reject him after he'd made love to her. 'Sex with him was so amazing' she thought, feeling drunk on love. She did love him; she realized and wondered for just how long. Perhaps that was the reason she never gave into boyfriends and her fiancé trying to pressure her into sex? Was she waiting for Mousse to return? His nervous expression made her feel like laughing, he loved her too, she was certain of that. 'So much time wasted!' she thought and did giggle. The sight of the blood on her thighs made her feel giddy and made her feel closer to him. She wondered if there would be blood on his penis and smiled when there was.

Mousse was wondering why Ukyou was looking at him so tenderly, yet kept laughing. I puzzled him and terrified him at the same time, in case she'd accuse him of taking advantage of her in her intoxicated state. He took her hand "Ukyou I will marry you if you want" he said formally.

Ukyou smiled at the sheer lunacy of his proposal. They were both naked and bloody, yet the way he asked her was as if they were in a formal dining room and he'd first obtained permission from her father. So she cracked up again. Then leaned forward and kissed him.

"Of course I want to marry you, but when you're ready. You look like a deer caught in the headlights" she said. "Mousse, lets just take it slow. You need to time to get over Shampoo" she said.

"But it was your first time and I took that from you. It should have been with someone you loved at least" he protested.

"It was" she said.

"B-but" he protested.

"Mousse, I don't know how long I've loved you, but I do. It was probably soon after we became friends. I had a crush on you too, had you even given me the tiniest bit of encouragement, this would have happened a long time ago" she promised him.

He looked at her nervously, but said "I'm glad it didn't; all we would have been was substitutes for other people. Like I was in my marriage" he pointed out.

"Do you actually believe that? Doesn't this feel real you? It does to me. I want you and only you and I can't see it being different back then. I believe that we would have made love and would still be together today. Can you say that you don't love me?" she asked.

He thought about it "I don't know. When I was with you, barely even thought about Shampoo and I wanted you and only you. Perhaps all I ever had for her was a stupid infatuation?" he ventured, expecting her to be disappointed.

"I'm willing to wait; I only ask that you be whatever you can to me. You don't even have to commit to me" she promised him.

He looked at her "I can't just have causal sex with you and not want more. It just isn't in my nature. But you're missing the big picture, we just had unprotected sex and there could be consequences that we aren't prepared for" he pointed out.

Ukyou frowned and said innocently "I hear that you can't get pregnant your first time"

"Ukyou that isn't true...." he protested, she silenced him with a kiss.

"I've been on the pill for months; Akane dragged me to her gynecologist soon after you moved, in just in case" she informed him.

He blushed "the gang knew about our mutual desires before we did?" he inquired.

"Apparently they've been placing bets on when we were going to make love, I believe Ranma won. Mousse why didn't we do this before?" she asked.

"There are things that I haven't told you about my leaving the village" he admitted. "I was afraid to give someone that much power over me again"

"Tell me" she said softly.

Her anger flared to find out how he'd been treated as a widower. "Those assholes!" she cried in outraged. "I'm going to china and kicking some Amazon butt, starting with Ranma look-alike" she cried and grabbed her spatula. Now it was Mousse's turn to laugh to see her about to walk in the direction of China, holding her spatula and stark naked.

"Before you go to avenge my honour, you might want to put some clothes on" he observed and hugged her tenderly against him. She looked down at herself and laughed.

"Sorry, I get upset when I think about how those idiots treated you" she said.

"You mean Cologne and Shampoo? They weren't so bad" he replied.

"They insulted you and cuffed you on the head almost every day. How is that not so bad?" she cried.

"I guess that I was used to being treated that way as an Amazon male" he explained.

"Who could get used to that? Had you told me at any point that you wanted to leave the Nekohanten, I would have given you a job and you could have stayed with me. You knew that right?" she said.

"I knew, but being with Shampoo was where I felt the need to be at the time. Besides, I was afraid to be alone with you with my developing feelings for you and all. I felt like such a hypocrite while I was telling you to wait for marriage and wanting to make love to you at the same time" he said.

"If we'd made love, would you still have left with them?" she asked.

He nodded "they were still the leaders of my tribe and as result, of me. If we had gotten involved, I would have still gone with them for political reasons if nothing else. I could have sworn to you to be faithful but had Shampoo decided that I was to marry her, I would have had to" he explained.

"And now that she's dead?" she asked.

"I chose exile for myself, I have no connection to there, but my family name and familial ties of course" he explained.

Then she asked the question that had been bothering her the most "then why did it take you so long to come back?" she asked in a small voice.

He put his hand under her chin and saw the hurt in her eyes "I needed to get away from anything or anyone I'd ever known for a while. In one day my dreams were shattered and I didn't even know who I was anymore. I mean, all I ever wanted was someone to love and a family; hardly huge dreams. My marriage was failing, but at least I finally got what I wanted" he said. "You wouldn't have wanted me here; I was an emotional wreck and an even more pathetic shell of what I was. All it would have accomplished was you having to piece me back together, that's not fair to ask of anyone" he explained.

"I wouldn't have cared, I just wanted you back. How did causal sex with strangers help?" she asked.

"I haven't made love with anyone since Shampoo. You're the first person" he told her.

"I'm glad' she said hugging him.

"Its better that we happened now, I'm a better person" he said.

"You weren't so bad back then" she said.

"I was a pathetic loser who everyone made fun of and I don't blame them" he said somewhat bitterly.

She went and got a photo, he almost laughed out loud when he saw it. He was smiling bashfully with his face red, as Ukyou had just kissed him on the cheek before the camera snapped. She reached out, undid his ponytail and then led him over to a mirror. "Look at yourself; you've barely changed a bit. Put on the white robe, the glasses and you would still look the same. You were gorgeous back then and you're gorgeous now. You just had body image problems and self esteem issues and were surrounded by self-serving brats; us. Everyone has matured for the better since then and that includes you. Shampoo was a strange girl, but nice enough. Actually her going back to your village was the thing that allowed Ranma to marry Akane. He'd been afraid to tell her in case she tried to harm her" she explained.

"So you would have wanted to date me back then?" he asked shyly.

"Damn right Sugar, provided you'd stopped trying to get into Shampoo's panties" she said crudely and laughed when he blushed. "Come on, let's go to bed" she suggested, realizing that they'd been having this entire discussion while naked. He agreed and they got cleaned up. When he went to go into his room she caught his hand. "No you don't, you're sleeping with me from now on. We'll find something to do with the spare room later" she said suggestively and they went to sleep curled up like puppies.

Mousse was confused when he woke up, he was nestled against a soft warm body; Shampoo had hated snuggly sleeping. He opened his eyes, expecting to see purple hair but it was almost as dark as his own. He stared into Ukyou's sleeping face as he held her; she looked so cute. Then he became aware of her long legs, full breasts, slim waist and butt that you could bounce quarters off of and he got as hard as a rock.

Ukyou woke and felt something pressing against her butt "well, looks like you're having fun this morning. Are you getting started without me?" she joked.

"We can wait for another day, you're probably too sore" Mousse volunteered.

With one limber move she straddled him, he moaned as he slipped inside her. She quirked her brow at him "we've waited far too long as it is, besides I've heard sex is good for a hangover and that cowgirl position is supposed to be fun" she said and proved to him that it definitely was.

After a day spent talking about their hidden feelings for each other and deliciously sexually experimenting, they met Ranma and Akane for dinner at a restaurant. They were late and apologized profusely. Throughout dinner both Ranma and Akane noticed the growing intimacy between them and how relaxed they were about it.

"I would love to look at the desserts" Ukyou said.

"I'll go with you" Mousse volunteered. Ranma and Akane watched as he possessively placed his hand on the small of her back while they walked to the display.

"Finally" Ranma said "I thought we were going to have to seal them in a room together naked and tell them to have fun"

"I doubt that they would have gone along with that. Good thing that we kept those bottles of champagne that Shampoo laced with an aphrodisiac" Akane said.

"Yeah, kind of funny we used them to help her husband" Ranma said.

"Well it helped us when we accidently drank the first bottle" Akane said laughing at the memory. "Good thing there was no one home that night." Akane looked at the happy couple gesturing to types of desserts "did we do the right thing, are they going to be okay?" she questioned. "I kind of feel bad experimenting on our friends"

Ranma looked over at them "they're going to be fine. They just needed a nudge. Besides, the effects of the aphrodisiac are only temporary; it certainly should have worn off by now. This is them as they're meant to be. Mousse was in love alright, just with the wrong girl" Ranma mused.


	7. Fun Loving

Mu Tzu was surprised when Ukyou suggested going to China, she insisted he needed closure for that part of his life before he started his new one.

Mu Tzu POV

I was walking through China with my girlfriend and someday wife Ukyou, it was strange to have a companion while walking these familiar roads as I normally walked them alone most of my life. She is a silent, yet loving companion who seems to know that returning here is something I dread, my final days forever fixed in my mind. From the day that I can only term as my escape, my eyes finally opened to the cruelty of my place of birth and inequality among the sexes. I regarded myself as being somewhat reborn, rising from the ashes of what I was, like a phoenix to become a hybrid of what women expected of me coupled with my desire to become a more dominate version of myself. I would no longer crouch in the street begging for crumbs of affection.

My new companion in life swaggers beside me, the perfect combination of soft curves, a loving heart and the toughness that has always been associated with Amazon women. She once asked me if her cross dressing tendencies bothered me, I said no, our village is largely a rural community and both sexes wear similarly cut clothing so it was nothing to me. Shampoo had under gone an extreme transformation clothing-wise when we moved to Nerima in an effort to trap Ranma. It was still Chinese clothing, but more what a town girl would wear.

As we neared our destination, Ukyou became worried about me and wondered if her suggestion was bad. Personally I think that it's time to lay my ghosts to rest and find out the real reason for my public snubbing. That and say goodbye to my unborn child.

Ukyou was loitering in the road when Mu Tzu rejoined her after changing "whitey's back" she commented when she saw he was wearing his white robe and blue pants again.

"If I'm going to face them, then it will be how they remember me" he explained.

Ukyou moved closer to rub the silky material through her fingers "I kind of missed this thing" she said and surprised Mu Tzu by shoving him against the nearest trees and kissing him deeply.

"W-what are you doing?" he sputtered as she cupped the cheeks of his ass and started grinding herself against him suggestively. He stifled a groan when he started to get hard.

"I've always wanted to take this off you" she purred.

Mu Tzu blushed "here? I know that we haven't passed anyone for miles, but this is a main and someone could see us" he said and pulled away somewhat reluctantly.

"Come on, you grew up around here. You must know some place we can go" she said, feeling particularly horny.

Mu Tzu laughed "yeah and I was such a stud back then" he pointed out. He tried to resist his rising feeling of lust, until she reached down and gave him a squeeze.

"I didn't know you went commando under there, I should have checked a long time ago" Ukyou said innocently.

"There's a hot spring over here" Mu Tzu replied, tugging the giggling girl in the direction. Frantic fingers tugged at his clothes until they seemed to disappear like magic, while his own hands stripped her clothes from her. He tugged a blanket from his pack and went to lay her down, but Ukyou had other ideas. She pushed him back instead, appreciating the pale slenderness of his body against the darkness of the blankness. With a mischievous smile, before he could work out her intention she straddled his face, he pussy inches above his mouth. Mousse's eyes twinkled at her aggressive move and then started teasing her outer lips and kept darting his tongue between then to lightly tease her clit until she was almost growling with frustration. She sat down more forcefully, so that her button was almost grinding against his mouth while her juices flowed directly onto his upturned face. Having enough of teasing her, he sucked her clit right into his mouth and sucked on it hard and lashed it with his tongue. Ukyou stiffened and the bedewed his tongue with her wild honey, he cleaned up every drop and pulled her now somewhat limp body lower down his to where she could satisfy them both.

Ukyou gasped as he stabbed himself inside her, he was so thick that it always hurt just a little and this only added to her pleasure. Mu Tzu loved his sex gentle and she a little rough and somewhere in the middle they had found a perfect combination. Each of his strokes was gentle, yet had just enough force to drive himself so deep inside her that he was practically knocking at the door to her cervix, as if demanding entrance. She wanted to shriek her pleasure to the world it was so intense, instead she muffled her mouth while she came with the force of the gale winds. They struggled for dominance as he tried to hold her hips to guide her until she began riding him like a bucking bronco. He won when he tumbled her over, he pinned her hands to the blanket over her head and used these for leverage as he pounded into her sweet, juicy pussy until they both came like a rocket as the same moment. He pulled out and lay beside her as both people panted out their mutual satisfaction.

"That was amazing" Ukyou said.

"Wo ai ni, Ukyou" Mu Tzu said.

Ukyou kissed him "wo ai ni, Mu Tzu" as answered. Mu Tzu had reclaimed his name by this point.

"Now please tell me that my hidden weapons master robe doesn't have the same effect on you that your wearing lingerie does on me" he said candidly.

"I can't tell you that" replied Ukyou with a grin, got redressed and they were on their way after some adjustments.

"Hello sir, miss. Welcome Jusenkyo. Wait don't I know you sir? Ah the duck" the guide said happily.

"Not anymore, I guess that your brother was on duty that day" Mu Tzu retorted. "We need to find the spring of the drowned man" he explained.

"Ah does the lovely miss want to become man?" he asked happily.

Ukyou was kind of tempted, especially when Mu Tzu seemed to shudder at the idea. "No we just need to get some water" he said and took her hand before she suggested the idea.

Taking two water bottles and pulling on a rubber glove, he carefully filled them and put them in his pack to be taken back to Nerima. "This should take care of souvenirs for Ranma and Ryoga." He said triumphantly. "Ready to go to the village?" he asked her.

"Sure I want to kick some Amazon butt" she said. "Lead on oh sexy one"

People whispered as Mu Tzu walked by them, he ignored them all, occasionally giving nods to those he somewhat liked. While Ukyou walked beside him burnishing her spatula and glaring a challenge at all who dared look at them. As she was a woman holding a giant spatula, most people did look at them. On their wedding day, Shampoo and Mu Tzu had been given Cologne's old hut as the new leader. It was huge compared with other huts and it was towards this one he strode. He could hear people whispering his name and staring after them. When he reached it, he wasn't surprised when Shampoo's cousin, Soap emerged with her new husband, whom Mu Tzu only knew at 'Ranma look alike'. Soap looked like Shampoo quite a bit, right down to her smirk, but her hair was more pink then purple.

"Well look whose back" she said.

"Hey is that pretty boy 'Ranma look alike'? Come here pretty one, how would you like to eat spatula?" Ukyou asked advancing on him.

"I don't think he understands you" Mu Tzu said to Ukyou in Japanese while the confused looking Chinese boy stared at her giant spatula. "You never could resist Shampoo's toys" he said to Soap.

"I can resist the ones she didn't want, like you" she replied.

"I take it that you married him?" Mu Tzu asked.

"He defeated me like it's supposed to be, not got Shampoo to agree for political gain, like you did my cousin" Soap reprimanded. "Who's the girl your with and what's with the spatula?" she asked.

"This is my girlfriend Ukyou" Mu Tzu replied.

"You defeated her?" Soap asked, clearly not sure what a girlfriend was.

"More like the other way around" he said smiling fondly at the confused Ukyou. "I'll explain later" he assured her.

"If you want citizenship for her, you have to marry her in order to make her an Amazon. In ordered to do that, she has to defeat you" she said smugly.

"Ukyou, she wants to know if you wish to marry me to become an Amazon" Mu Tzu said.

"Tell the little stuck up bitch to kiss my ass" she retorted, loathing the other girl on sight. She had Shampoo's looks without any of her natural friendliness. Mu Tzu repeated exactly what she said word for word.

"She can't say that to ME!" Soap cried.

"Actually, as she's little more then a tourist, she can" Mu Tzu said sweetly.

"You tell her to watch herself" she threatened. "I'm leader after all" she reminded him.

"You only became the leader by default when Shampoo died. You've never liked me anymore then I liked you. Ukyou goes where she wishes, she has that right and you know it" he said calmly.

"Shampoo was weak, she wouldn't have lasted as leader" she threatened.

"You won't last; you're nothing but a tyrant" Mu Tzu.

"Yes, but I'm still the leader. Looking to come back here?" she asked smugly.

"Not on your life, I'm through with this place and with people like you. I'm just passing through" he replied. "Come on Ukyou, we're not going to find what we're looking for from this ghoul" he said, Ukyou glared at Soap one more time and followed him. They soon became aware that 'Ranma look-alike' was following them.

"What do you want Jackass?" Ukyou cried whirling around.

"I want to talk to Mu Tzu" he replied, which sounded to Ukyou like 'blah, blah, blah Mu Tzu"

"I think he wants to talk to you" she said unnecessarily. She sat down and pulled out a book while they chatted.

"My name is Henna. I wanted to say that I'm sorry. I wouldn't have accepted her challenge if I knew she was pregnant, I don't believe in breaking up a family" he said sincerely.

"Yet you seemed really broken up about it" Mu Tzu said sarcastically.

"I never meant to hurt you, I admire you, all Male Amazon's do" he replied.

"Admire me! But you don't even know me" Mu Tzu cried, alarmed at the idea.

"You never give up while all the rest of us stay in our places. You left here not once, but twice unaccompanied, you learned martial arts even when it was frowned on for a male to know so much, you have an education, you persistently challenged a member of the ruling clan and won her and you know how to live in the outside world. That makes you unique among us. All the rest of us marry, father children and look after our homes and families as we were taught to, while you strive for more" he said with awe in his voice.

Mu Tzu paused, he'd never thought himself unique until it was spelled out to him "I'm the way that I am because of my mother, she didn't set limitations of any on f her children and treated us all equal, even me. Whatever I am, I can attribute to positive parenting and the help of friends" he said gazing, lovingly at Ukyou.

"She's your new wife?" Henna asked.

"She will be someday; she's my girlfriend for now" Mu Tzu explained.

"Girlfriend?" he asked confused.

"There's no marriage by defeat where she's from. It goes girlfriend, fiancée and wife" he explained.

"How strange" Henna said.

"I thought so too at first, now it seems like a much better system" Mu Tzu said.

"Listen, Shampoo did care about you but it was more like friendship. She felt bad about wanting out, but she felt that you weren't compatible and that you had feelings for someone else. The night she died she was planning to renounce your vows, that's why they came and got me" he said.

"There was someone else but I didn't know my feelings at the time of our marriage. I was naive and thought we were meant to be together" Mu Tzu, oddly feeling glad to be speaking with the strangely nice guy. Then suddenly he realized that Shampoo really had loved Henna.

"Tell me, was she happy at the end. Did you love her?" Mu Tzu asked.

"Yes I did, she was the sweetest woman I've ever met" Henna said, he blinked away tears. Mu Tzu wasn't prone to hugging strange men, but he hugged this one.

"I'm glad that you made her happy" Mu Tzu said. "I wish I could have" he told him.

"I married Soap because she reminded me of Shampoo, but they're not even close" he said mournfully.

Mu Tzu pulled out a pad of paper and wrote out his cell phone number "what you think is so unique about me can happen to you; if you want to leave here call me. I'll get you a job, a place to stay and help you get an education. As for girls: there are plenty of women in Japan who would kill for a nice domestic man like yourself" he assured him.

"But what about my wife?" he asked.

"I'm just giving you an option, you're going to decide what you want for yourself" Mu Tzu said.

"I'll think about it, thanks Mu Tzu" he said.

Mu Tzu reached into his pocket and drew out the wedding ring that he'd taken off the night he and Ukyou first made love. He'd been planning to give it to her cousin but had changed his mind. "She'd have wanted you to have this" he said giving it to Henna. "You wear it on the third finger of your left hand" he explained.

"She wore one of these too" he said looking at the gold band and slipping it on, it was a perfect fit.

"You can have it, I'll only wear one again when she puts it on me" he said indicating to Ukyou.

"You love her?" Henna said.

"Yes I do, with all my heart" Mu Tzu said.

Henna winced "I have to go, I promised to mend Soap's shoes this evening"

"Good luck to you" Mu Tzu said and went to rejoin Ukyou.

"What did pretty boy want?" she demanded.

"He was actually a nice guy who apologized for his role in all this" Mu Tzu explained.

"So you found your closure?" she asked.

"In a manner of speaking, I found the real substitute" he said. He held Ukyou's hand as they walked. He could picture a little dark haired boy and a little purple hair girl frolicking in the bright clearing beside them, they were so innocent and just caring friends as only the truly young can be. He smiled at the imaginary youngsters and let all of his bitterness go. He forgave Shampoo and his heart felt lighter.

"You look happy" Ukyou observed.

"Of course I am, I'm with you" he said and softly sang a Chinese lullaby as they walked on that gorgeous day. Mu Tzu stopped before the Saruka tree that bordered his mother's property.

"I hope you don't think me morbid, but I just want to stop for a minute to honour my daughter's memory" he said.

"Is that where you buried your baby? I thought you never knew the sex?" Ukyou said.

"I just get the feeling that it was a girl" he replied.

"Did you name her?" Ukyo asked.

Mu Tzu blushed and admitted the last part of the story "yes I named her Ukyou, I hope that's not too weird" he said. He studied her, expecting her to laugh or something, but instead she brush a tear away.

She leaned down and spoke to the ground beneath the tree "Ukyou, I'm honoured that you were named after me and I'm sorry that I never got to meet you. You have a wonderful father and I promise that you'll have plenty of brothers and sisters one day" she said.

It was so moving a speech that Mu Tzu brushed a tear away as well, the only sound was the rustling of the leaves as if a child were playing in the tree while the blossoms danced. Mu Tzu turned his eyes from his past to look to his future.

"Are you ready to meet your future mother in law and sisters in law?" he asked.

"Lead the way Sugar" she said. Ukyou stopped him, seemed to pluck something from his hair and showed him a leaf. "So you don't look like you were rolling naked beside a hot spring" she explained.

He realized that this visible sign of their love making had been there throughout their journey through the village "how long have you known about that?" he asked suspiciously.

"The second you got dressed" she replied brightly. He glowered at her and took her to meet his family, this time she was the one humming the lullaby.

FIN


End file.
